Page 4 — Saturday, March 24, 1945

P.A.

PEOPLE’S VOICE FOR PROGRESS

AVSURUUUISUERECRELUEUSTADEULESTRRSUMLTESECETETUCET RTS ELSSCRESELETILTCLAS SNS STET

PACIFIC ADVOCATE

WEAEESSOSTILESUERSARIELELTUNLESATERDEAPERLELP ERECT AT ALCTALATEREE STP RE ESERIES

Published every Saturday by The People Publishing Com-
pany, Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street,

: Vancouver, British Columbia and printed at East End
Printers, 2303 East Hastings Street, Vanceuver, British
Columbia. Subscription Rates: One year $2; six months $1.

Editor —— .. _ Associate Editor

Cc. A. SAUNDERS MYER SHARZER

Clarity Needed.
1; IS impossible to chart a course for the peace time years
that are approaching so speedily without grasping the fact
that the past five yeats have completely changed the political
and economic foundation of the whole world.

These changes were not brought about suddenly, but
nevertheless, pressuted by the dire mecessities of the cataclys-
mic wat against fascist aggression, a war which rapidly evi-
denced itself as a struggle to preserve all that mankind had won
through centuries of bitter endeavor, events have moved at
revolutionary tempo—from the radical departure from Mun-
ichism so cleatly demonstrated in the Churchill address at the
outbreak of war on the USSR, on through many difficulties
and setbacks to the Atlantic Charter, the Moscow conference,
to the concord of the three great powers reached at Teheran.

Teheran signalized the opening of a new era for mankind,
its significance was immediately grasped by the Marxist parties
of the world including the .abor-Progressive Party in Canada.
Standing almost alone, against the attack of the most reaction-
ary section of big business, who fully recognized an, end to the
unbridled exploitation of the resources and people of Canada
which had been their prerogative in prewar years, they were
the object of the most vicious attack from the socalled radicals
of the Social Democratic leadership of the CCF.

In spite of the many problems, unavoidable in a relation-
ship so new and a perspective whose possibilities are even now
not fully recognized, the concord of Teheran has been extended
and further concretized by the meeting of the decisive world
powers at the historic onetime playground oi the Czars, Yalta
in the Crimea.

The next step in this pattern of cooperative planning of
future world development will be taken at San Francisco,
where the new world labor body will undoubtedly play
a definite role, with its ability to speak with the voice of
60,000,000 organized workers.

This is the developing pattern of world events which open
up a new period in the history of the progress of the world,
a period to use the words of Tim Buck, National Leader of
the Labor-Progressive Party, heralding “The epoch of the
abolition of poverty.”

Already in Europe, in the counfries so recently freed from
Nazi tyranny, people of ali classes have been welded by the
fire of mutual suffering into a mighty force for progress. Gov-
ernments elected in these countries are governments of a new
type, representing all classes of the nation, with labor play-
ing a major role.

The Canadian political scene reflects the growing realiza-
tion among evergrowing numbers of people that old concepts
will no longer serve in the tremendous tasks of the postwar
years. Latest figures from.the Gallup poll reveal significant
changes in the political thinking of Canadian people. Answer-
ing the question “Which party would you prefer to see in
power in the postwar period,” 28 per cent said Liberal, 21
per cent Progressive-Conservative, 17 per cent CCF, 13 per
cent said “‘others,’’ while 21 per cent were undecided.

This reveals a steady decline in support for the old line
parties, with a distinct falling away of CCF support, whilst
the number of people who are undecided has increased tremen-

_ dously.

This is evidence of the fact that none of these three major
parties have so far come forward with policies and programs
in line with swiftly moving world events. It reveals a lack of
confidence in policies out worn and left behind by the march
of history, whether it be the Meighen sighing for the good old
days of surplus labor, superprofits, unemployment and mass
poverty, or the ultra-radical nostalgia for these very same
ideals on the basis that men only think with their stomachs.

Only the abor-Progressive Party has clearly and con-
sistently, through its press and public speeches, brought to the
people the urgent need for uniting all of the forward looking
elements in the country to ensure a government of progress
pledged to the carrying forward of the cooperative and united
spirit engendered in the winning of the war to determine the
shape of the peace—a perspective based on a clear realization of
new world conditions created as a consequence of this people’s
war.

in P assing By C. A. Saunders

are will be an impertant month in the his-

tory of P.A. We believe we have come a long
way im the twenty issues that have so far rolled
off the press. There iS plenty of evidence that the
paper is going over in a big:
way, shown most plainly in
the fact that.a steady stream
of new subscribers have
boosted our. circulation to
over the 6000 mark, with
Over a hundred new sub-
seriptions in the last week
before the drive opened:

Our press is becoming
ever more popular and it is
clear by the results so far
shown that there are liter-
ally hundreds of people who
are willing and ready. to be-
come subseribers; the big
job is to reach them.
__ Qur drive this time is a sustaining fund drive
and there is not the slightest doubt that the rais-
ing of Sufficient funds to carry us through to the
fall is the primary task facing our friends and
supporters. f

We took on a major job when we undertook

to publish a Sixteen page weekly, but we think
everybody will agree that, considering the grave
and vital political tasks confronting us, on the
eve of one of the most momentous elections in the
history of our country, the task of maintaining
our press at the present size with an evergrow-
ing circulation is only in line with the increased
tempo demanded in these critical times.

WE ARE part and parcel of a huge and ever-
growing movement today, we do not stand
alone, isolated from other sections of the people:
Every day more and more people are beginning
to realize that the future of our province and our
country are dependent on the kind of coalition
of the forces for progress that our party and our
paper alone in B.C. is calling for. It is to these
people we must make especial appeal during the
coming months. The press drive can and should

Around Town By Gynthie Carter

I WAS measuring syrup for little Cari’s formu-
ja, and Pauline, who “‘comes in to sit with the
baby,” was in theory doing her homework. In
fact of course, she was intent on the luridly-
covered whodunnit resting se-
renely on her copy of His-
tory of the British people.

“My mother has to spend
most of her time reading
now,” said Paulime.

“Ts she ill?” I asked.

“No, just patriotic,’- she
teplied.

I enquired further.

“A man leaves us books
every week, and mother reads
them for the soldiers,” she
explained patiently, and turn-
ed back to her book.

A few days later I found :
out what Pauline was talking about, when I
was visited by a none-too-scrupulous salesman for
a magazine company whose policy, I might add,
has never been particularly progressive.

“Pm calling about the magazines for sol-
diers,” said a slick-looking young man when I
opened the door. And before I could Say any-
thing he said accusingly, “You do give magazines
te our servicemen, don’t you?”

And having figuratively got his foot in the
door, he swept into a high-sounding, but some-
what confusing, story. A certain benevolent mag-
azine company, wishing to donate magazines to
servicemen, would leave four magazines with
me each month on condition that I turned them
over to servicemen. Someone would call for
them, he said. Of course, I would be asked to pay
the delivery boy a few cents each week for his
trouble ...

You can guess the answer. You pays yer
money and gets yer receipt. Then you find that
you have fallen for the usual magazine tie-in
offer scheme. On your agreement you find that

you have promised to pay the magazine company
seventy cents per month for almost two years.
And in all the fine print on this elegant little
“sereement” you will find not one word about
servicemen. If you ask who will collect the maga-
zines again, you will be told “oh, you can phone
the Red Cross or somebody and theyll call

around.” All the patriotism was a nice bit of bait.

‘All of which adds up to what I consider one of
the meanest promotion stunts in some time.

sixteen pager again next week.

be made the opportunity to reach new —
subscription list should take a tremeni
during this period, ensuring that in th |
ture when the heat of the election cq!
upon ws we will be reaching and j
thousands of new people through the § —
our press. — :
Thus the press drive is, im 4 very
part and parcel of the whole strugele ¢
free from poverty and Oppression, | |
ward with giant Strides to the Sotialst F
It is part and parcel of the strugele fo:
quate housing and social legislation, ~
of the great fight to unity the ra 3
labor behind a program of non-partisa”
action, a vital part of the stragelé 7.
labor. partnership in the governme ¢
country. :

sis its Lae a la grata iad sn Sebi b ics

P sai

des week we are only publishing ty ;
yet strangely enough this is ocey 4
something that will greatly improve
ance of our paper and be of assistance

during the drive. :
Our print shop is installing a 1
press, the job is completed now and th —
ment you will notice in the print job so
established by the time we get aroy

Long time readers of our press will |
to know that Al Parkin will be a regu ©
butor to our pages from now on, Aj
compelled to lay off for some time ov
health, but he now feels well enough +
into harness again. He will bring to on!
long years of experience both in the
Jabor movement and as an outstan
journalist. :

There is no doubt. that people wh
come acquainted with him through i
broadcast, will be anxious to read wl ©
to say in the columns of P-A.

So we pledge to continue to expai

prove the paper. Let us all pull ap ;
to ensure a successful drive both Zina |

in circulation.

Such tactics are probably considered —
ness, and there is nothing illegal about A
isn’t a criminal offense to play upor {)
of loyalty to men im uniform to tum: ”
penny.

{
When this salesman or one of his A
comes to your door, however, don't |
If you happen to enjoy the magazine ;
ing you will save a few cents per mont | :
up this offer. But you are not help: ‘
‘yicemen anymore than if you bough }
on a newsstand-and turned them in ;
tion agency: If you want to do sometl |
servicemen, Send your pennies to the |
where the benefits to them will be = ¥
company, by the way, iS one of the lar (ff
the publishing business. : |

T WAS good news this week when ef

thorized the city properties commit
for another 100 city-owned lots for eo
low-rent homes for soldiers. Apparel jf
for.the 100 homes already construct @
times as great as the supply and the @
hesitating as a kid taking his firsts @
have found vut that this business oF
servicemen is “all right once you get
tend to extend their original plans:

In view of the council’s final ac @
the fact that the housing situation
solution, and in view of materials @
shortages, it always amazes me that By
should be so loth to change zoning Tes
Vaneouver’s “smart” districts only
dwellings are allowed, and every tev |
city council gets, all het up over tt @
some of the one-family dwellings art
verted, by. installation of gas and pl &
tures, into accommodation for two oe
Monday’s council meeting a commit @
up to “investigate unlawiul conver
family dwellings.”

Somehow, it doesn’t quite make
ple have to live somewhere. Among F
Soldiers families are crowded into om —@
dwellings. In Shaughnessy many ama)
a family of two. Does the council fe
better for people to live on Powell
does it figure it’s alright for more 1
in Shaughnessy, as long as they don—
rooms of their own? Or as long 4)
cook? Or maybe we're crazy! 4